African Cichlids scratching 5-1-08
Malawi Cichlids With Stubborn Itch
Hi Chuck, We wrote to you back in January 2006 about an issue with our fish scratching on rocks, gravel, etc. I've included the e-mails below.
Just wondering if we could ask for your advice one more time!
I'll give you an update... After your advice we treated for Ich/ Protozoa infection on two separate occasions. The first dose didn't stop them scratching so our local fish shop recommended a second, prolonged treatment with a different brand (ie 2 treatments back to back). That proved to be a disaster; it not only failed to stop the scratching, but also killed many fish. We were left with a few P. saulosi, P. acei and some Synodontis catfish. We spoke to many fish shops and no one could help us or suggest any further treatments.
One said it could be the water conditioner or that it could just be natural behaviour. Having lost so many fish we had given up on treating them any further and just thought we'd see how things go. Over the past 2 years we've completely changed the rock, the sand, all water conditioners/hardeners/etc., tried different foods, got a bigger canister filter, put in some powerheads, added Seachem Purigen to the filter (changed monthly) and maintained good water conditions throughout. (Phew) All the fish seemed very healthy. They bred many many times (to the point that there were far too many for the tank) and even our Synodontis population tripled using the saulosi as hosts. Everything was perfect...except they were STILL scratching!
A week ago we sold all the fish except the Synodontis and bought a colony of 5 large venustus (1 male 25cm, 4 females 20cm).
Unfortunately I noticed the male scratching last night. I can't see anything visually wrong, no spots or anything. We checked the water conditions and got the following: GH = 22 deg., KH = 10 deg., pH = 8, ammonia = 0, nitrites = 0, nitrates < 5ppm (didn't register any on the test). I'm absolutely stumped and very frustrated. It seems obvious that it's a parasite... Do you have any ideas on what it could be? Is there any way of testing the fish before trying to treat them? Any natural remedies that won't kill the fish? Any non-parasite ideas?
Sorry about the long e-mail! Thanks in advance. Carl & Monica
< Ideally you take a sample of the protective slim from the skin of the fish and look at it under a microscope. Look for parasites that may be causing the irritation. If you tried the Rid-Ich, then I am surprised that it didn't work. Generally new fish are stressed and they produce lots of this protective slim. Sometimes they produce enough to overcome the parasite and the organism becomes less of a problem. To increase the slim you could add aquarium or rock salt. You don't want to add too much because the slim will coat the gills and impede respiration. Other natural remedies would be to increase the water temp to the mid 80's F. Higher temps increase the metabolism of the organism and they cannot keep this up. Think of it as giving your tank a fever to fight a cold. I would start by adding a tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons of water and raise the water temp to 83 F. If the fish act too stressed then reduce the water temp until they feel more comfortable. If the eyes are also cloudy then it could be bacterial. Try Furanace, it works well on both bacteria and funguses. Minerals and metals may also cause the irritations. You could set up a quarantine tank and fill it with treated R/O or treated distilled water. That way you are in control of the minerals/metals in the water.-Chuck>

Are the white spots overfeeding or temperature related ?  - 03/27/06
Hi! I need some help. Yesterday three of my fish died of Ick or Ich. (White spots) They were fine for a month now but recently just stopped being their selves and started developing the white spots. I used the Ick Treatment (blue liquid added to tank). I have a 1 1/2 foot tank and there are (or were) 15 fish.
4 Guppies (now 3)
4 Platies (now 2)
1 Siamese fighter Male
2 Swordtails (1 jumped out when retrieving guppy babies before they were eaten)
1 Algae Eater
1 Glass Fish
1 Mollie
A beautiful array of fish and wonderful to watch. I need to know are their deaths related to over feeding (I feed them
twice a day, or temperature related? My tank is set at 26 C. Since one of the death of a blue platy, one of the swordtails has started being a happy and swimming all around like he used to before the platy arrived, was he bullied of felt threatened? He is back to being the father of the tank!
Thanks and keep up the good work !
<Sounds like they died of an Ich infection. Totally unrelated to your temperature or feeding schedule (but cut back to one feeding a day and skip one day a week). Read here for all the info you will need to rid your system of Ich. http://www.aquariumadvice.com/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=32 Personally, I prefer the salt and heat method. All your fish can handle the level of salt needed to kill off the parasite. As to your swordtail, sounds like the platy was "top dog" in the tank. Now that he is gone a new alpha fish is taking over. This can happen in small systems with closely related species. One point about your livestock, if the "Algae Eater" is what is commonly called a "Chinese Algae Eater" he will get very large and aggressive over time. Best to remove him now. Not a good community fish. Don>

What are these things! FW Neons, Ich...    3/27/06
Dear WWM Crew,
I have recently had all my neon tetras die. The first one to go (thing 1) had dropsy and was really sad because he had been a part of my aquarium for over a year. I went to the local aquarium to get two replacements to keep my second neon company. Within 2 days both of the new guys died. I tested my water and everything was fine.
<Can't tell from here>
The following day I bought another neon tetra and named in speckles (It had white dots sprinkled over its body and fins).
<Perhaps if you named them after prophets...>
This one soon died too, followed by my second neon tetra (thing 2). I noticed my other fish began having white dots as well.
<Oops... likely not related... but ich>
(I have a flame tetra, two Gouramis, a serpae tetra) Doing my research, I assumed ich and began treating the tank with Coppersafe, as recommended by the aquarium store.
<... I would NOT treat small characins/Tetras with Copper products... but half doses of Malachite Green, elevated temperature... posted on WWM>
Paying closer attention to the tank, I can see many tiny white bugs moving on the glass and floating in the water that were not there before.
<These also are very likely unrelated...>
Can these white bugs be what is on my fish? Are they parasites hurting my fish?
Thank you for your time,
Jackie
<The initial losses were probably due to simple differences in your store/sources water quality, acclimation and your system... the ich was likely imported on some of the new fish... the bugs are likely living on the nutrients, food... You need to "step up" your maintenance, treat the ich with something less toxic (likely clean the tank a bit first, or better, treat the fish elsewhere...), and not worry re the apparent "bugs". Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

HELP! Ick Infestation... FW Ich City!    3/27/06
Hello to all of you,
<And you>
This is my first time asking a question "on line" so I'll try to add all the info you need.  I am relatively new to this hobby (which I am starting to LOVE).  Anyway, first tank: 33 gallons 2 months old, 3 platys and 5 rainbow fish (praecox) one cherry barb.  Ammonia 0, Nitrite 0, Nitrate 20ppm, 25% water changes weekly.  No new fish added but March 16 noticed barb flashing and with 2-3 spots.  Started treating with Quick Cure.  
<... I would not use Formalin in your main tank... perhaps Malachite Green alone... with elevated temperature... Posted on WWM>
Removed carbon, cut feedings in half, raised temperature to 81 degrees
<I'd raise to mid-eighties>
and kept lights off. After 3 days, barb getting worse and spread to platys.  Started to treat with ICK GUARD.  Have treated for the last 5 days with 20 % water change every three days.  Temperature stable at 81, reduced feeding and limited lights.  Barb died on March 20.  Platys sometimes swim around but often rest on the bottom.  Tail fins still have several spots and look clamped, not spread out like normal.  Most of the Rainbows haven't eaten in the last two days.  One swimming almost upright (nose up) with a slightly ragged tail
fin.  If it gets under the filter current it just gets plummeted to the bottom.  Doesn't seem to have any strength.  Another Rainbow just hovering at the surface not moving.  Another Rainbow just shimmying at one end of the tank.  Tests done every second day - Ammonia and nitrate still 0, Nitrate still 20ppm.
Second tank - 10 gallon set up about 3 months ago.  5 Harlequin Rasboras, 2 cherry barbs.  I full size Rasbora, I almost full size, 3 very small (about one third the size of the full-size), cherry barbs slightly smaller than full-size barb.  Ammonia and Nitrite 0, Ammonia about 20ppm.  25% weekly water changes.  Checked with major aquatic store if OK to add 4 black neon barbs question my PH 8.0 level.
<... too high...>
They said it would be OK as they were tank reared and that was the PH range of their tanks.  Within three days...ICK.
Have been treating with ICK GUARD for the past 6 days.  Water temp 81%, lights off, carbon out, limited feeding.
<...>
Relatively new 20 gallon - 4 platys.  Within 3 days ICK.  Ammonia and Nitrate 0, Nitrate 25 ppm.  Live plants.  Increased temp to 81degrees, am limiting food tiny (I mean tiny pinch every other day), removed carbon. I've cruised around 100 web sites for info on ick.  However, my questions are:  how long do the spots last?
<Depends... in "one generation" cycles about four days at this temperature... but/however, over time, the cyclicity of Protozoans gets more complex, overlapping... continuous...>
Even though the Rainbows in the 33 gallons seem to be deteriorating, I'm hesitant about cutting back/discontinuing with the ICK GUARD as I'm aware about the part of the ick cycle when the parasite can be effectively treated.  How could they have gotten ick in the first place?
<Was present already... likely on other fish/es>
I ensure that the temperature of the water during the water changes is exactly the same - and no new fish were introduced???
<Can be easily transferred on any wet gear...>
I really need help.  Although I'm kind of new at this, I don't want to sound sappy or anything, but I've really gotten attached to all these little guys/gals.
Thanks for any help/thoughts you can add.  Lisa (aka.. bad fish momma)
<Lisa... raise the tanks temperatures, use Malachite Green... and soon. Read on WWM re this disease, its treatment, prevention... use quarantine...! Bob Fenner>

Re: HELP! Ick Infestation    3/27/06
Thanks so much for the speedy reply.  Just a bit of clarification for me if it's OK
I'm in the process of raising the temperature in all three tanks to about 84-85 degrees (should be there by tomorrow evening)  Can all the fish, Rasboras, black neon tetras, platys and remaining rainbows sustain that temperature and for how long or how many days?
When you say use Malachite Green, is there an actual product sold named that or is it an ingredient in ICK medications?
<There are a few: http://wetwebmedia.com/malachitegreen.htm>
If it is, which is the best name brand to use.  I searched WWM again and got confused whether the Rid-Ick +
was a good or bad product to use.  And yes, valuable lesson learned re quarantine.  When this is all over, the 10 gallon will be "quarantine headquarters"  Thanks again and have a good night
<Sounds good! Bob Fenner>

Ich--Out of Control!  3/19/06
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I am in tears right now over my fish.
I recently set up a brackish tank because I fell in love with the puffer fish. One of the  first fish that I added into my BW tank was two zebra  puffers.  
<Colomesus asellus?  See: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/sapuffer.html >
I had some scats in the tank to cycle the water and everything was fine until I got a couple GS puffers and 3 F8s  from another pet store.  
<A lot of bioload to add all at once.  Scats grow as large as dinner plates & require 50g each (adult size).  Green spotted puffers grow to 6", require marine conditions as adults & 30-40g each.  F8s like low-end BW (1.005), need 15g for one & 10 more for each extra puffer.>
I was then informed  that the Zebra puffers were not BW fish.
<Correct.>
So now I had two fish that had no place to go.  I do have a FW tank, but it is pretty full and I thought that I saw some ick on the Z puffers, so I did not want to spread into my other tank.
I decided to remove the Z puffers.  Yes, they had ick...
<This species in particular, is very sensitive to ich.  Must be quarantined & treated right after purchasing.>
So I am thinking that maybe they were stressed from the BW conditions and I moved them into a small, already cycled 16 gallon tank.  I treated the ick in the 16 gallon with JUNGLE Ick clear, along with my BW tank.  I saw a few spots on the scats and a couple F8s by this time.  Well, I treated both tanks for 3 days and the ick cleared up in both tanks.
<Just long enough for them to become immune to the treatment.  It's like not using antibiotics for the full recommended period.>
About 6 days later I noticed that the Z puffers in the 16 gallon FW had signs of ick again, so I immediately used JUNGLE ick and I had  gotten 2 glass fish for the BW tank and I swear, by the time I got them home and dumped them in the tank - not more than 1 hour passed and the glass fish had ick spots, so I also treated that 40 gallon BW tank with JUNGLE Ick again also.  Well, after 3 days of treatment, my Z puffers had  not responded to  the treatment and have gotten steadily worse.  My BW tank has held its own but still no signs of improvement.  I then put the carbon back in the 40 gallon BW tank (Fluval) and  the 16 gal tank, waited 12 hours, did a 25% water change and switched medicine to Kordon Prevent Ick.  I used that for 2 days in both tanks, cutting the medicine down a little bit because of the puffers being sensitive and all of my fish seemed to have gotten worse.  So, I then changed medicine AGAIN with Kordon Rid-Ick.  Now, after 3 days all of my fish that were infected are either the same or worse.  The Z puffers look so bad - one is also starting to get fin rot, that I have thought about putting them out of their misery, ether by having a friend of
mine freeze them or me flushing them.  
<Overdosing with clove oil is best (found in the toothpaste isle of the drug store).>
My BW tank with the three F8s seems to be getting worse and I just don't think I can see any more of my fish suffer so.  I talked to a friend of mine at the pet store and he told me that there are all sorts of strains of ick, and that all medicine might not kill that strain.
<There is FW "ich" (Ichthyophthirius multifilius) & SW "whitespot" (Cryptocaryon irritans), with similar habits to freshwater ich.>
I do not understand how ick could be living in my BW tank with the  
temp being 80, and the hydrometer reading at .006 - .008.
<You could be making the strain resistant to meds, with all the different meds you are using, for not a long enough time.>
So to sum it up I have a 40 gal tank with 2 scats, 2 knight gobies,  1 GS puffer, 3 F8s, 2 butterfly gobies, 5 Bumblebee gobies, 2 glass fish and 2 black Mollies.  
<Waaaay overstocked!  With that kind of overstocking there is always going to be constant stress & lowered immune systems--no chance of fighting disease at all in there.>
The 3 F8s are steadily getting worse and I am sure my fish are stressed from constant 24hr water changes along with new doses of ick medicine.
<Water changes are the very best thing you can be doing right now.  Here is an article on Treating Puffers with Ich: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9 >
My 16 gallon tank has 2 Z puffers and 2 white mollies COVERED with ick.  I do understand that it takes more than 3 days to clear up ick but I have had ick in the past in another tank.
<The parasite have a greater hold on scaleless fish.>
I have - a FW 40 gal and after 3 days the ick has always maintained the same appearance or gotten a bit better.  So, if you are wondering why I have not waited before trying a new med is because every day, even with the ick medicine the puffers have gotten steadily worse.  As of now I have put the carbon back in the tank and am going to try a new medicine called Super Ick Cure, by Aquarium pharmaceuticals Inc.  I am still debating as whether to do another 20% water change before attempting this.  I feel that the more water I take out and put in, the more stressed the puffers get.  My Z puffers are suffering so, I know that I cannot watch any more of my fish get that bad so please, if you have any answers on how to get this under control - PLEASE write back.  If I have to watch my F8s suffer like the Z puffers,  I don't think I'll be able deal with having any more fish.  :(((((
<I understand your affection for these wonderful fish!  I'm afraid your tanks are in trouble with all the fish you have in there.  Please read the links I have given you.  You can also add Melafix to help with the fin rot--caused by the parasite eating off the fish.  Look through the other articles on the species you have & consider many larger tanks for all your fish--if they make it.  For now, leave the meds alone, heat & water changes, water changes, water changes.  Be sure it is the same temp & use Prime to DeChlor.  ~PP>
Kathleen

Treating ich--how long?   3/3/06
Howdy crew,
<Hello>
I have a threadfin rainbow in a QT tank with a moderate case of ich.  I am using Aqua-Sol to treat-- copper sulfate.
<Yes, nowadays... used to be a silver salt>
The product label didn't specify how long to treat, # of repeat doses or anything.
<Smart... or disingenuous... or both>
When I called the company to ask, they said one treatment is all that's needed.
<Mmm, not likely. I disagree, but can understand this blanket statement. One needs to know actual concentrations (ambient) and re-apply as necessary (likely), rather than risk (easy) over exposure with copper/cupric ion>
This doesn't jibe with what I've read on WWM and elsewhere about the effectiveness of medications on the trophont and tomont-stage buggies.
<Ah, yes>
I've set the QT tank to 85F to speed up the ich life cycle.  Based on that, should I keep dosing the copper sulfate for X days, or wait X days and re-treat?
<Let's add to the bit of info. re copper use in FW (much of this is gone over in the Marine/root web)... There are a few substantial and a handful of minor factors that determine the "life" of copper added here... Depending on aspects of water quality, the amount of "bio-gunk" and livestock, the copper can/will "go away" in a very short while... And w/o having a "given standing concentration" there is no benefit... Hence the call for suitable test kit... measuring, re-applying when the concentration drops below 0.15-0.20 ppm free cupric ion... Bob Fenner>
Thanks!
-Dave

Re: Treating ich--how long?... FW Q., feeding   3/4/06
Thanks Bob.  That's exactly the piece I was missing.
<Okay>
Unfortunately, the rainbow died last night, partly due to not eating for the past 3 days on top of the infection, increased temp, etc.  Which makes me wonder-- are there any tips to getting fish to eat after moving them to QT?
<Mmm, yes... use of vitamins (in the water, soaked with the foods), changing water... including temperature (usually elevation), use of  feeding ditherfish>
Most of the fish I've QT'd have failed to eat/thrive despite my best efforts at easing their transition (using water from the display tank to fill the QT
tank, etc).  The rainbow was eating fine before I moved him.
<Bob Fenner>

Treating A Tank With A Bio-Wheel - 2/28/2006
Hello, Have been combing the archives and I can't seem to spot this question/answer. I have a 12gal Eclipse with a bio wheel, when you're medicating a tank (ick)-after you're done, what do you do with the bio wheel? I've gotten rid of the carbon in the filter and have a new one ready to put in after the treatment, but am not sure what to do with the wheel-if anything or how to proceed.
Thanks, Judy
< Before treatment, take the Bio-wheel out of the system and place it in a little dish/bowl with some aquarium water and place it in a cool dark spot like under the aquarium. Keep it moist but not submerged. Treat the tank for ich for at least three days as per the recommendations on the bottle. After the treatment is complete you add carbon to remove any medication. When the tank is clear you can simply reinstall the bio-wheel. Without a fish to host the parasite it will die off in a few days depending on the water temp. This is one of the great things about the Bio-Wheel. This is especially useful when treating with antibiotics.-Chuck.>

Re: Medicated Tank with Bio-Wheel  - 3/1/2006
Thank you Chuck for the quick response! I of course acted first and asked second! :-(  What would I need to do (I pulled the bio wheel after I started treatment)
in this instance? Should I get a new wheel and treat the water with a Bio Spira product after the treatment and about a 50% water change? I was so anxious to treat the white spots that I remembered the carbon but wasn't sure about the wheel. Thanks Again, Judy
< When the fish are cured add carbon to remove the excess medication. Start feeding after adding the carbon. Be very careful not to overfeed and remove any excess food after a couple of minutes. Check the ammonia and nitrites. If they start to get up there then I would add Bio-Spira.-Chuck>

Guppy with Ich, no QT - 2/26/2006
Hello,
<<Hi Lala>>
I am a very new aquarist (aquariumist??).
<<Aquarist was right :)>>
I have a 29-gallon aquarium with 6 white clouds, 4 dwarf rainbows, 2 algae eating shrimp and a limpet.
<<No plants in the tank/left then I assume.>>
Added three guppies a week ago - one of them developed ich two days later.
<<Quarantine is the best way to exclude problems like this.>>
I immediately consulted the LFS, started AquariSol treatment and raised temperature to 80. Only one fish has ich. The ich started on the top of the back, then two days later, it looked like the skin was perforated.  The fish was eating, and showed no visible distress, then the fish disappeared!! Have not seen her in three days now. The aquarium is lightly planted and has some driftwood and stone but I think it should have been visible.  Could she be dead and eaten??? Or buried in the gravel?
<<Any of the above, yes.  Likely consumed quickly by the limpet.>>
Another concern is that the other female guppy seemed to be pregnant. What should I do with the fry - should I place them in breeder tank? Will it be infected?
<<Search on WWM for guppy reproduction and breeding.>>
Thanks
<<You are welcome.  Lisa.>>
Lala

Stubborn Ick  02/12/06
I have a small community tank that was recently overcome by Ick. I think it was brought home with my latest additions which were 4 cherry barbs. I would really love some direction as to what products I should use.
<... posted... on WWM>
I have read everything on the net as well as on the bottles, but there is just so much contradicting info out there! I have already lost the 4 barbs. I also have 2 female Betta's that were in the tank and I moved them back to bowls after their scratching nearly left them finless. I am currently using Coppersafe to treat the betas in the bowls but they don't seem to be getting any better. I actually think one has a bacterial infection on top of all this on her tail (its red/brown and splitting).
So. what's the best to use for quick, safe, and effective treatment? Is there anything out there that will kill the parasites attached to the fish or do I have to wait for them to fall off?  Can I combine the Ick treatment with others such as Stress Coat, Salt, or Antibiotics? What's the best thing for the bacterial infection? And lastly, what is the likelihood that the Betta's will actually recover at this point?
Sorry for the loads of questions in advance!
<Read: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Confused,
Amber
 

Please help! Gourami with Ick Emergency   3-28-06   I think I may be losing my powder blue Gouramis to Ick. Last night I lost my CAE. <Other members of the Crew may be holding their breath to see what my comment here would be> I have a total of 8 Gouramis and they are showing small white spots tonight but they are very bad on my 2 powder blues. I rushed to Wal-Mart tonight when I got home from work (they were the only place I could go to at 11pm at night) and I purchased Wardley's "Ick Away". I followed the directions and removed the carbon filters but when I went to turn my filter back on nothing would circulate throughout it with the filters intact so I unplugged it completely. <Looking for surface agitation here, Jennifer. Filtration at this stage is unimportant> So my Gouramis are in the tank without anything circulating and I don't know what to do about that. I poured the blue solution into the tank and did a 50% water change with my gravel cleaner. Then I removed all my live plants. I read that the hotter temperature could kill the Ick so I placed my heater inside the tank. Well after a few minutes it started smoking and I husband unplugged it and said it broke. <From bad to worse is sounds like> So I added hot tap water mixed with fresh start to the tank in hopes that will bring up the temperature. <Won't do the deed for you. Temperature must be raised and held, preferably above 85 degrees F.> So the temperature is now at 78 in my blue watered tank without any circulation and my dying fish. Would someone please tell me what I can possibly do to save them. I have invested so much money and time into these fish and I need some direction please. Is there still hope for my fish? <If your fish are still alive, there's certainly hope. We've not alternative but to try. If you're prepared to spend the money, purchase a hang-on filter of suitable size (AquaClear would be my choice), a new heater (no preference here but I wouldn't skimp) and "aquarium" salt (not "marine" salt). Pull your current filter off the tank and install the new filter with no filter inserts. Do a 50% water change, vacuuming the gravel heavily, to remove as much of the old medication as possible as well as any encysted parasites as we might get lucky enough to catch. That done, install the new heater and slowly begin raising the temperature (1-2 degrees per hour) until the tank temperature is at 86-87 degrees. (Note: I'm not familiar with the Wardley's product however some Ich medications shouldn't be used at elevated temperatures which is why I recommend removing it.) Once you're reasonably satisfied that the old medication is out of the tank - as much as possible - we're going to do the water changes again, this time adding the aquarium salt at a dosage of 2-3 tablespoons per five gallons of water to the water-change bucket (not the tank!) - five-gallon buckets are typically sold at most LFS's and would serve well here. This process should be done slowly over a one- to two-day period to avoid "shocking" the fish. (Keep the tank water level a little lower than you normally would so that the output of the filter "disturbs" the surface sufficiently to increase oxygenation. This is very important at higher temperatures!) Now, catch your breath while I catch mine ;). Okay, the combination of salt and heat should be maintained for about 10 days. You may see a disappearance of the parasites in less time than that but it doesn't mean they're gone. In the meantime, keep an eye on your pets for signs of stress over and above what the Ich may be causing. Unlikely that this level of salinity or the elevated temperatures will do any harm to your Gouramis but let's "first, do no harm". If need be, do a small, unsalted water change but I don't think it will be necessary. At the end of this time, do water changes to remove the salt and "very" slowly lower the temperature back to normal. (Fish can acclimate to elevated temperatures faster than they can to decreased temperatures.) Also take notice that your tank will need to re-cycle as you might imagine. Bio-Spira (Marineland) can speed this up enormously. Pricey, but well worth the cost. Best of luck, Jennifer! Tom> Jennifer Groenendaal Re: Please help! Gourami with Ick Emergency   3/31/06 Hi Tom, <Hi, John> You have helped me to save the lives of my fish because of your prompt and detailed response. <If that didn't make my day, nothing will. Thanks> The first night I didn't think my 2 blues were going to make it but I woke up the next day and they were still alive, read your email, and bought a new heater. Now I did end up back at Wal-Mart b/c the closest fish store is almost an hour from where I live so I ended up with kosher salt b/c I thought I read here before that it can be used and didn't see any marine <aquarium> salt as you instructed. Is this ok? <Absolutely> I couldn't find a hanging filter but I am going to the fish store tomorrow as I have more time to purchase one. Tonight I did another partial water change and added some more salt, some more fresh start and pH adjuster. The temperature also reached 85. <Good! One or two more degrees wouldn't hurt but you should be in good shape> I got rid of all the live plants and took out all the fake plants and the fish started to seem stressed with all the activity going on with their tank and probably also b/c there was no more plants in there. <Understandable> The reason I thought they were getting stressed is because they pace back and forth really quick or swim up and down at the corners of the tank. <Not uncommon when fish are stressed> Anyways, I then soaked the fake plants in hot water and kosher salt and floated some on the water and planted some. They all seem to have their appetite back and are swimming normally. <Very good to hear> Except out of the 8 of them I still see a bump on the top fin of one of my blues and the other one still seems to scratch itself against the rock. <These guys sounded to be the worst infected and it may take a little extra time. Not to worry at this point> Would you like me to continue this for the next 10 days before removing the salt, adjusting the temp. back to normal, and putting the carbon filters back in? <Let me offer you an option here, John. When you're satisfied that the fish are clear of any infestation, continue this course of action for three additional days. If you've any doubts, then let's run with the full ten-day plan. Much beyond ten days and we start getting into a position where we may start doing more harm than good from a standpoint of stress on the fish. The higher temperature should certainly help to speed things up since Ich can rarely survive temperatures in this range and it speeds their life cycle up significantly. In short, the stage of life in which the parasite is vulnerable will develop much sooner than if we were treating a colder temperature environment, a pond, for example.> Thanks again for your time Tom and I hope to hear back from you when you get a chance!! <Happy to get back and keep up the excellent work. The credit really belongs to you! Tom> Re: Please help! Gourami with Ick Emergency  - 04/04/2006 Hi Tom, <Hi, Jennifer> Not sure if you are able to help me at this point but my 2 powder blue Gouramis do not look like they are going to make it. I believe I completely got rid of Ick by following your instructions b/c I do not see anymore salt-like spots on their bodies but now I see small white patches of skin on them or maybe just areas where their beautiful blue coloring is faded into white. <Likely the result of wounds left behind after the adult parasites "dropped" off.> They are both at the top of the tank in the corner near the heater and moving slow and "tilting" to the side and they only move their fins when they see me come close by. Note that I have 6 other Gouramis-gold, opal, moonlight, and three-spot that seem to be just fine. <Glad to hear that, anyway...> Once I thought I treated the tank of Ick, I got the temp back to 80 degrees and put the carbon filter back in. I went to the pet store and they tested my water and told me my water was hard and needed to add bacteria, so I bought Stress Zyme and Stress Coat and added them in conjunction with each other into the tank. I also added a pH adjuster and new live plants to float on the top. <Jennifer, the activated carbon will probably "undo" any medications that you place in the tank. Cease the use of both for the time being.> The blues still didn't look good so I added them individually into a glass container with warm water, kosher salt, and some Ick Away. I kind of "dipped" each one in it individually and added them back to the tank. They still don't look good. Do you have any idea what else could be wrong? <Okay, let's start doing water changes - 20% every other day...starting now. Do NOT add anything more to the tank. (We need to get "control" over water conditions and the additives aren't helping.) Please, look into purchasing a water test kit. (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals makes a great "starter" kit and is easy to use and read.) The water changes will oxygenate the tank and control, if necessary, the toxicity of the water. We need to get your Blues under optimum conditions!> Thanks, Jennifer <Please, keep me posted. Tom>

Whitespot Wipeouts   4/21/06
Greetings, I'm still fairly new to the world of aquariums (less than a year) and am trying my hardest to keep my fishy friends happy. The set up is a 54 litre tank with live plants, with 25% water changes weekly. Nitrate, nitrite and ammonia levels are pretty low and algae (brown and green) is minimal. I follow all the advice that came from my tank manufacturer.
However, I got whitespot in March, and it keeps recurring. I had to replace a Tuxedo Platy who died (no obvious cause), and the new fish brought the dreaded tomites along with it. The most of the original inhabitants (4 other Platys, 3 Zebra Danios, 9 Neon Tetras and Hoover, my beautiful Upside-down Sailfin Synodontis) were literally covered in spots before I knew what was up, and died over the next few days. I treated the tank throughout with Interpet "Number 6" Anti-Whitespot (which is a blue liquid with needs to be diluted before adding to the tank), Melafix, Pimafix, and bi-daily water changes (approx 20%). After the massacre, I was left with 2 Danios and Big Dave the Ghost Shrimp. I also noticed that the dying fish spent a lot of time swimming at the top of the tank. So, Some four weeks later, I returned to my supplier - who admitted that they'd had a major whitespot outbreak (and that they'd knowingly sold ill fish without warning customers) - and agreed to replace all of my fish free of charge. Obviously, I couldn't replace them all in one go as the filter would overload, so my tank population went up to 1 new Synodontis (Flymo), 5 new Platys (bought in two lots) and an additional Danio. They were introduced over a period of three weeks.
Annoyingly, one of the final Platys seems to have brought whitespot back with it - despite showing no obvious infection (the spots appeared almost two full weeks after introduction). I immediately started treatment (and had deliberately added some of the Interpet "Number 6" before introduction as a precaution) though it doesn't seem to have any effect. My Platys spend 30% of their time apparently asleep during the day and 30% of their time swimming vigorously swimming at the surface (possibly gasping for air?). This morning, three of the Platys lost swimming control and died soon afterwards, and it appears that one of them gave birth to fry overnight! The dead fish were literally covered in whitespot, and it looked like their flesh was shredding. The other Platy seemed to be immune (except for the sleeping and surface swimming which began this morning) though I think I spotted some small spots on them just before lights out this evening. The Danios appear to be unaffected at this time. I've read the FAQs here, though none of the questions seem to cover my situation closely enough for satisfaction. What can I do to get rid of this horrible disease before I lose the rest of my fish? "Brother" Steve
<Start by getting a quarantine tank. Place the new fish in the tank for at least 2 weeks and set the temp for 82 F and add a tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons. If spots appear then treat with a malachite green and formalin combination. Sometimes for really bad cases you may need to add some copper sulphate as well. When all the fish are completely cured, usually after 7 days they can be moved to the main tank. In the main tank the temp should be increased to 82 to 84 F with a tablespoon of rock salt per 5 gallons of water. Some medications can present a problem for scaleless fish like your catfish so read the labels.-Chuck>

Problems with aquarium ... FW, ich... stkg.    4/9/06
Hello, I was wondering if you could help me with a problem that I am having.  
<Will try>
I set up my aquarium (the first one in 15 years!) and proceeded to perform a fishless cycle.  The aquarium is a 96 Litre (25 gallon) tank.  It is a planted tank with both live and plastic plants.  I used ammonium chloride to initiate the cycle
<... a bit dangerous... easy to overdose>
and measured nitrites and nitrates to observe the spike and subsequent drop.  I could not test ammonia levels as in Switzerland I have yet to find an ammonia testing kit.
<Interesting. Likely "against the law" due to the toxicity of the test reagents. They are>
  The tap water has the following natural parameters:
pH: 8.0
<A bit high for your Cardinals mentioned below>
KH: 5d
GH: 7d
Tank temperature is kept at 26-27C.  I stocked the tank with fish when the nitrites were at 0 ppm and the nitrates at 12ppm.  I put in 4 male guppies and 10 cardinal tetras and 1 Pleco (which I now fear may outgrow the tank).
<Most species sold for aquariums, yes>
To acclimate them to the new water I placed them in a plastic bag floating in the water for about 20 minutes.  I then introduced about 1-1 and 1/2 cups of tank water into the bag every 20 minutes for about 1 hour.  After this time I removed the fish from the plastic bag and set them free in the tank.  I tried to avoid adding any water from the plastic bag into the tank, but maybe a little bit (i.e.: some drops) entered the tank.  I disposed of the mixed water and bags.
For the first 4-5 days everything seemed fine.  The cardinals and guppies and Pleco seemed very happy.  On the 5th day I thought I noticed some white dots on one of the tetras, noted it in my journal, but didn't take action.  I am a bit rusty after 15 years...
<I'm permanently fused after forty...>
Two days later, it was as I feared.  Almost all the tetras had what obviously appeared to be ick.  Bad.  I raced to the fish shop and purchased a preparation based on malachite green.  I treated the tank at half dose (because of the cards and Pleco)
<Good>
and treated at the same time with anti-biotic (1/2 dose). Temperature was raised to 28C.
<Very good>
Thirty percent water changes were done every 2 days along with substrate vacuuming.  Over a period of 3-4 days I lost all the tetras.  I was devastated.  After I lost the tetras, the guppies started exhibiting lots of white spot.  I continued the treatment.  I am on about day 8 of the treatment now and the guppies seem to be doing much better.  The ich is visibly gone, but I will continue to treat.  Two guppies have developed what appeared to be tail rot, so I upped the dose of the anti-biotic and added some anti-fungal medication (at half dose also).  They finally appear to be doing better (tail damage seems to have halted) and seem to be eating.  But now, one guppy (with the biggest tail) seems to be getting picked on by two other guppies.  It looks to me like they are trying to nip his fins, and his tail fin is already quite damaged (from the rot, I suspect).
My questions are:
1. Can I do anything to discourage this nipping behaviour?
<Mmm, more decor, plants, more frequent feeding... perhaps isolating the "nippers" for a few days in a floating/breeding trap...>
2. How long should I continue to treat with the malachite green?
<Every three days for two weeks maximum... Is toxic>
(Just today I noticed no more white spots, so all the cysts have probably fallen off in the last 24 hours)
<... Yes... I might risk even elevating the temperature another C.>
3. Will the anti-biotic treatment kill my biological filter?  
<Could>
4. When is a reasonably safe time to add more fish given I have just treated for ich?
<A few to several weeks>
5. What type of (and how many) fish will do well with the guppies and water chemistry?
<Posted... on WWM, fishbase.org... elsewhere>
I have a choice of Gouramis, blue rams, platys, mollies, cardinal tetras, angelfish, glassfish, penguin tetras, harlequin Rasboras, meekis, ramirezis,
<Same as "Rams">
and neon tetras. (25 gallon tank, 5 fish current inhabitants)
<I would stick with soft, acidic, tropical OR hard, alkaline, cooler water choices... other than the two you have indicated above here>
6. Any idea what could have caused the ich infestation?
<Oh yes... You bought the fish/es with this... One of the "in the good old days" statements one might make. Livestock nowadays is far more likely to have problems...>
I appreciate your time and assistance with my questions,
<I appreciate your writing, sharing. Thank you and good life to you and yours. Bob Fenner>
Thank you,
John Theal.

Help Bala shark with ich   4/8/06
Hi my name's Brandy.  I have a  ten gallon tank set up for 4 months now and was running smoothly.  Ammonia is 0 ppm nitrate is less than 5.0 ppm.
<Good>
I haven't been testing for nitrite or ph.  I have an outbreak of ich which I treated today with Super Ich Cure by API.  My tank had aquarium salt added a few weeks ago.  The problem is that when I added the treatment for the ich on of my Balas stopped swimming.
<Yes... is rather toxic... BTW, this minnow-shark species needs to ultimately be in a much larger system>
He is still breathing, but lying upside-down on the bottom of the tank or on a plant (fake btw).
<Yikes... very bad.>
  I am not sure what I can do for him at this point.
<If it were me/mine, I would add some activated carbon to your filter, flow path... to remove the "medicine" quick...>
  I vacuumed the gravel and did a 30% water change because I was afraid that he would get more infested if I waited.
<Good move>
I would like to try a salt dip, but don't want to push him over the edge.  I have a  3 blue pearl Danios, a Cory cat, a small Pleco, and two Balas.  Every one else is fine only the Balas have ich I think.  I do know how (now) big they get and was planning on moving them into my 38 gallon this weekend, but alas
the ick struck!  Thanks for all your help!
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm
I would only use half-doses of Malachite Green on "sharks", small Characoids, catfishes... and elevated temperature to treat ich. Bob Fenner>

Ich in a FW Community Tank   4/26/06
First, thanks so much for providing this site with all of its information;
I've learned a lot and certainly have become a better aquarist because of it. Second, does the following sound about right for an ich treatment?
After five months of waiting and cycling and more waiting, I finally stocked my 120 gal with seven juvenile (2"-3") discus last weekend (no QT, I know, but I can only have one tank). Its continuing inhabitants include ten cardinal tetras and five Corydoras. There are no live plants. Two days ago, I noticed that three discus had come down with ich. There were only 2-4 spots per fish, but they were definitely there.
I started treating immediately: daily 25% water changes with gravel vacuuming followed by a daily 110 gal-size dose of Rid-Ich+ (produces a concentration of 15 ppm formalin and 0.05 ppm malachite green), combined with a gradual temp increase. I made sure to remove the carbon from my filters; should I also remove the peat as well?
< If the treatment looks like it is working then leave the peat alone. If not then remove it.>
I have the tank lights off except for 2-3 hours each evening for feeding (after which I gravel-vac and treat the tank) and keep the tank covered to prevent light from degrading
the medication. Is that enough light for the fish, even for the duration of a two-week treatment?
< Sounds good for the short duration of the treatment.>
I currently have the temp up to 85 degrees F. - can I take it higher without harming the Corys?
< Leave it alone for now.>
(They are C. trilineatus, C. axelrodi, and C. leucomelas.) Or is it too high already?
< A little high but OK if the fish are acting normal.>
Yesterday spots appeared on two more discus, and today three of the tetras show spots. None of the visibly infected fish has more than six small spots, so I hope to catch this
outbreak before it really takes hold. None of the fish appears to be unduly stressed and all were willing to take food this evening.
Tank parameters are stable at:  (I am testing daily)
NH3 - 0 ppm
N03 - 0 ppm
N02 - 0 ppm
pH - 6.8
KH - 100 ppm
GH - 50 ppm
Am I doing the right thing? I plan to continue this treatment for two weeks, or longer if I observe spots after the seventh day. Any other advice?
Thank you so much, Danielle Gilbert
< The parasites should be gone in a week if the treatment is working. If spots continue to appear then you might want to add some copper to the treatment.-Chuck>

Problematic tank/Ich 6/22/06
Dear Crew,
<Hi>
My family has been trying to keep a fresh water aquarium for a year now. The first nine months were pretty sad; most of our information came from a large pet store chain, and two books which I have now discarded.
<Everyone has their own methods.>
The last 3 months